Thank you very much for the invitation to the ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the Memorial Museums Department of the Topography of Terror. I would like to begin by conveying heartfelt greetings to you from the minister of state, Monika Grutters. The minister of state already expressed her great appreciation for the work done by the Memorial Museums Department and for its many years of dedicated service on the occasion of the Topography of Terror’s 30th anniversary last July.
The Topography of Terror, which has been funded by the federal government since 1994, has made a particularly valuable contribution to researching the Nazi crimes and communicating their meaning. It is located here, in the heart of Berlin, the former site of the headquarters of the Gestapo, the SS leadership and the Reich Main Security Office, where they systematically planned and organised their reign of terror and death in Europe. The Topography of Terror has brought history to life by developing this authentic site with great expertise, sensitivity and resourcefulness, and making it publicly accessible. In doing so, the Topography of Terror has vividly and memorably introduced the structures and mechanisms of the Nazi dictatorship to millions of visitors of all ages from Germany and abroad. The presentation of a wide range of topics directly linked to the historical surroundings makes a visit to the exhibition an impressive and unforgettable experience. The permanent display is complemented by numerous special exhibitions, all well attended, and quality lecture and discussion events. In other words, the Topography of Terror sets standards as a place of remembrance.
Here, however, I would like to focus on an aspect of the Topography of Terror that receives less public attention than the documentation work I have just mentioned. This aspect is crucially important for the network of memorial centres in Germany – it has had a lasting effect on the network and will continue to shape it in the future. I am referring to the Memorial Museums Department under the auspices of the Topography of Terror. Germany has a very diverse landscape of memorial centres and places of remembrance related to the Nazi period, for good reasons. The individual institutions have different thematic focuses, based on their various functions during the Nazi reign of terror. As a result, they perform different tasks in the process of examining and commemorating the past.
The memorial centres and places of remembrance related to the Nazi period are spread across Germany and have widely varying environments. In places like the German-Danish border they have a rural character or, as in Dachau, they are located in the middle of cities. Moreover, they are supported by different funding bodies including the federal government, the Federal German states, local authorities, churches, or private citizens. All kinds of hybrid forms exist. In the Federal Strategy for Memorial Museums, civic support from mainstream society is seen as an integral part of this historically evolved memorial culture. It was active civic engagement that first created awareness that commemoration is an important social task. Civic engagement also means constantly questioning history. In this respect it is an essential basis alongside state support. In many cases, civic engagement plays an important role as a driving force, generator of ideas and promoter of unconventional thinking. In addition, continuing civic participation at the local level contributes significantly to the success of projects and proposals, including for publicly funded memorial centres and sites of remembrance.
While the Topography of Terror is a good example of successful, productive interaction between the state and citizen participation, its significance goes far beyond this. Ist Memorial Museums Department has established it as a central and competent address for civic initiatives.
The Memorial Museums Department has played a key role in the above-mentioned heterogeneous landscape of memorial centres and places of remembrance in Germany connected with the Nazi period. This historically evolved heterogeneity is productive and should definitely be preserved and strengthened. However, it also poses a number of challenges, because duplicate structures may develop, knowledge may be lost, and relevant information such as funding opportunities may be missed, and some centres may lack information on important contacts. It is therefore very important for the memorial centres and places of remembrance to be closely interconnected. This allows knowledge to be shared and interests to be bundled and channelled. With its Memorial Museums Department, the Topography of Terror acts as a seismograph for the memorial centre network and, as such, is also an important contact for government and political leaders in Germany and abroad.
I would like to highlight just a few examples of the varied activities of the Memorial Museums Department: A panel of experts advises the minister of state, Monika Grütters, on decisions about federal funding for projects related to the Nazi period. The Memorial Museums Department is one of the institutions named in the Federal Strategy for Memorial Museums that appoints a representative to this panel. The annual national conference for memorial museums and the memorial museum seminar have established themselves as permanent fixtures in the landscape of memorial centres in Germany. The staff of large and small memorial centres value these events as unique opportunities to make contacts, obtain advice, form opinions and take part in further education programmes.
The Gedenkstättenrundbrief (Memorial Museums Newsletter) published by the Memorial Museums Department, is also a vital contribution. As a professional journal that addresses the highly specific needs of memorial centre work, it keeps its readers up to date on the latest research and experiences.
These exchange platforms are particularly important because the memorial centres and sites of remembrance related to the Nazi period are facing immense challenges today and need to redefine their work to some extent. Fortunately, visitor numbers are growing. In 2017, for example, the Topography of Terror attracted 1.3 million visitors – a very impressive number. At the same time, the composition of visitor groups is becoming increasingly heterogeneous and visitors’ cultural backgrounds are more diverse than ever. Because of the growing distance in time to Nazi Germany, diminishing numbers of witnesses are able to give direct reports on the events of that period, and fewer visitors – for example, relatives of people involved – have direct biographical connections to the topic or the historical site. We also hear on a regular basis from memorial centre staff that visiting school classes have diminishing historical knowledge and that the visits are frequently poorly prepared. Small and large memorial centres can meet these challenges more easily if they can exchange experiences and learn from one another. For example, the promising strategy of reinforcing and improving educational programmes can achieve its full potential only if resources are shared and those involved in the memorial centres are able to discuss and experiment with new concepts and ideas, and share experiences.
In this way, innovative concepts and approaches can develop a successful dynamic over a wide area. As a central point in the memorial centre network, the Memorial Museums Department is indispensable for achieving such symbioses in memorial work. Against this backdrop, the federal government has a vested interest in a strong Memorial Museums Department. In an efficient, professional manner, the department helps Germany to assume its historical responsibility in commemorating the victims, researching and examining the Nazi crimes and communicating humane, democratic values in the country’s decentralised and pluralistic network of memorial centres and sites of remembrance connected with the Nazi era.
We will continue gladly and with conviction to work towards strengthening the Memorial Museums Department and expanding the communications work. Following the successful work of the past 25 years – for which, on behalf of the minister of state, Monika Grütters, I would like extend my sincere thanks (especially to you, Dr. Lutz) – I wish the Memorial Museums Department all the best for the next 25 years.
Maria Bering heads the group “History, Remembrance” in the office of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.